AIR ARMAMENT PRACTICE ORDINANCE

AIR ARMAMENT PRACTICE ORDINANCE

CHAPTER 194.

AIR ARMAMENT PRACTICE.

To regulate practice bombing and firing from aircraft aitd for
clearing certain sea areas in connexion therewith.
[19th August, 1949.]

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Air Armament
Practice Ordinance.

2. In this Ordinance-
'aircraft' includes all balloons, (whether fixed or free),
kites, gliders, airships, aeroplanes, seaplanes, flying
boats and other flying machines;
'Air Officer Commanding' means the officer for the time
being commanding Royal Air Force, Hong Kong;
'practice' means air armament practice by bombing and
by air to ground firing by guns or rocket projectiles or
missiles from aircraft;

practice may be carried out;
'vessel' has the meaning assigned to it in the Merchant
Shipping Ordinance, 1899.

3. Subject to the provisions of this Ordinance practice
may take place over any practice range specified in the First
Schedule: Provided that when any person, vessel or
aircraft is within danger in or over a practice range all
practice shall cease.

4. (1) A provisional programme of practice shall be
circulated at the commencement of every quarter by the
Air Officer Commanding, in respect of the practice range.
to the persons enumerated in the Second Schedule, such
programme being subject to alteration froni time to time
if necessary.

(2) Such officer shall supply to such persons as many
charts, showing the practice range, as they may require.

(3) Such officer shall also cause to be published notice
of intended practice at least seven clear days before the
date on which the practice is to take place and shall supply
to the persons enumerated in the Second Schedule as many





copies of such notice as they may require, and, shall deliver
not less than seven clear days before the practice coin-
mences, copies of such notice to such persons as the District
Commissioner of the New Territories may specify.

(4) Such notice shall contain warnings to masters of
vessels, or pilots of aircraft exempt from the operation of
this Ordinance under section io, to assist the carrying out
of the practice by hastening through the practice range or
in the case of vessels by consenting to be towed out of
such area, if necessary, by any vessel acting under the
orders of the Air Officer Commanding.

(5) No practice shall take place on any day which is
a general holiday by virtue of the Holidays Ordinance:
Provided that practice may take place over the Port Shelter
Range described in paragraph (a) of the First Schedule
hereto on any day which is not a Wednesday or a Sunday.

5. Warning that practice is abOUt tO take place shall
be given in the inanner specified in the Tbird Schedule.

6. While warning is in force as given by the hoisting
or display of signals as provided in section 5 that practice
is taking place, then in respect of the area affected by the
said warning-
(a)no person shall enter or remain within the area,
nor bring, take or suffer to remain therein any
vessel, aircraft or thing, except as provided in
section 10;
(b) no vessel shall be employed in fishing in the area;
(c) no pleasure boat shall cruise in the area;
(d)no vessel shall anchor or remain anchored in or
ground on the area;
(e)no aircraft shall alight on, remain in or travel upon
the area;
in the event of any vessel or aircraft being from
any cause within the area, the master or pilot or
other person in charge thereof shall use his utmost
endeavours to pass out of the area without loss of
time..

7. (1) No person shall trawl, dredge or search for or
otherwise interfere with any practice bomb, bullet, shell or
rocket projectile or portions thereof within the practice





range, or take or retain, or be in possession of, any such
practice bomb, bullet, shell or rocket projectile, or portions
thereof, found within any of such area.

(2) Any person who, when trawling, dredging, or in
any manner whatsoever, shall come into possession of aily
such practice bomb, bullet, shell, or rocket projectile or any,
portion thereof, within the practice range, shall riot retain
it, but shall immediately return it in its existing condition,
and without tampering with it, into the water.

(3) The provisions of this section shall not apply in
cases of persons who recover any practice bomb, bullet,
shell or rocket projectile or any portion thereof, tinder
written instructions from the Air Officer Commanding.

8. (1) Any person doing anything prohibited by or
otherwise contravening section 6 or 7 shall be deemed to
commit an offence.

(2) If any person commits an offence against this Or-
dinance he may be removed by any officer authorized by
section 9 from the practice range, and may be taken into
custody without warrant, and on summary conviction shall
be liable to a fine of two hundred and fifty dollars. Any
vessel, aircraft or thing found in the practice range in
contravention of this Ordinance may be removed by such
officer as aforesaid and may be forfeited on summary
conviction of the person responsible for such contravention.

9. The following officers are hereby authorized to
remove or to take into custody without warrant any person
contravening section 6 or 7, or to remove any vessel, aircraft
or thing found on the practice range-
(a) the officer in charge of the practice range;
(b)any officer, warrant officer, non-commissioned
officer or military policeman, for the time being
under the command of the said officer in charge of
the practice range;
(c) any person authorized in writing tinder the hand
of the said officer in charge of the practice range;
or
(d) any police officer.





10. This Ordinance shall not apply to-
(a) any vessel or aircraft compelled to enter or unable
to quit the practice range by reason of the
exigencies of navigation;
(b) any vessel employed in tending, placing or replac-
ing mark buoys or other aids to navigation within
the practice range;
(c) His Majesty's ships of war or air-craft, or any vessel
or aircraft employed under Admiralty, War Office,
or Air Council authority or under the Government
of the Colony.

11. The Governor in Council may by order signified
in the Gazette amend the Schedules in any manner what-
soever provided that no amendment of a practice range
shall extend any such area beyond the Colony and its
territorial waters.

FIRST SCHEDULE. [s. 3.]

PRACTICE RANGE.
Note-All latitudes are N. and longitudes E. Latitudes and
longitudes taken from Admiralty Charts Nos. 3429, 1466, 3605, 3280,
3279, 3612 and 1180, but longitudes from Charts Nos. 1180, 3612
and 3605 have been decreased by 9'.

The areas included in the Practice Range are bounded as
follows-
(a) By a line starting at a point on the high water mark in
Portshelter map reference 668067 (latitude 22' 20' 57' longitude
114' 15' 53') thence in a direction 075' to point 79 map reference
701076 (latitude 22' 21' 22' longitude 114 17 38') on the South
end of the island known as Kiu Tsiu Chau (Sharp Island) thence
in a direction 045' to the North West point of Urn Island map
reference 729103 (latitude 22' 22' 41' longitude 114' 19' 08') thence
along the high water line round the East of the island to the South
East point map reference 738090 (latitude 22' 22' OW longitude
114' 19' 3W) thence in a direction 154' to map reference 755054
(latitude 22' 20' 12' longitude 114' 20' 30') thence in a direction
100* to North shore on islet map reference 782049 (latitude 22'
19' 58' longitude 114' 21' 57') thence in a direction 054' to map
reference 807067 (latitude 22' 20' 48' longitude 114' 23' 18')
thence in a direction 141' to map reference 824046 (latitude 22,
19' 45' longitude 114' 24' 10') thence in a direction 205' to South
East extremity of East Ninepin Island map reference 787969
(latitude 22' 15' 57' longitude 114' 22' OV) thence in a direction





263' to map reference 749964 (latitude 22' 15' 47' longitude 114'
20' 05') thence in a direction 301' 30' to map reference 703992
(latitude 22' 17 13' longitude 114* 17 38') thence in a direction
347' to a Point on the high water mark map reference 697018
(latitude 22' 18' 31' longitude 114' 17 22') thence along high
water mark to map reference 695030 (latitude 22' 19' 05' longitude
114' 17 17') thence in a straight line to a point on the high
water mark map reference 685034 (latitude 22' 19' 18' longitude
114' 16' 43') thence along high water mark to the starting point.
(b) By a line from latitude 22' 24' 32', longitude 113' 54' 47'
southwards to latitude 22' 23' 38', thence south south eastwards
and cast of Nam Long to latitude 22' 22' 28', longitude 113'
55' 17% thence south eastwards to latitude 22' 22' 02', longitude
113' 55' 46 thence north eastwards to latitude 22' 22' 27%
longitude 113' 56 43', thence north north eastwards to latitude
22' 22' 51', longitude 113' 56' 51', thence north westwards to
latitude 22' 23' 13', longitude 115' 56' 35 thence northwards to
latitude '22 23' 40, longitude 113' 56' 38', thence northwards to
latitude 22' 25' 18 longitude 113' 57 05', thence south westwards
to latitude 22' 24' 25% longitude 113' 55' 30 thence westwards
to starting point.
There shall also be included in the Practice Range the area
bounded by a line drawn 180 from the mainland shore through
Kowloon Rock to a position in latitude 22' 18' 21 longitude 114'
11' 47 thence 090' to a position in latitude 22' 18' 21 longitude
114' 12' 46', thence 068' to the mainland shore and the area
adjoining the Western boundary of the area lastly described and
being a sector of the following circle namely-
a circle having its centre at latitude 22' 19' 08 longitude
114' 12' 10' with a radius of 1,000 yards and intersecting the
Western boundary of the area first described at latitude 22'
19 28% longitude 114' 11' 48' and latitude 22' 18' 47
longitude 114' 11' 48' east.

SECOND SCHEDULE. [s. 4.]

LIST OF PERSONS TO BE SUPPLIED WITH PROGRAMMES,
NOTICES AND CHARTS.

Colonial Secretary,
Director of Public Works,
Director of Marine,
Commissioner of Police,
Director of Civil Aviation,
District Commissioner, New Territories,
General Officer Commanding, llong Kong,
Commodore in Charge, Hong Kong,
Secretary, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.





THIRD SCHEDULE. [s. 5.]

PRACTICE SIGNALS.

1. Notice that practice is taking place at the practice range
shall be given by the hoisting or display of the following signals-
By day, a red flag flown, and by night, a red light shewn,
from the old Sai Kung Police Station flag pole (map reference
671102) and from the old observation post, hill '163' (map reference
717003) and from a flagpole overlooking Ngam Tau Sha (Map
reference 69150315) and from such points as the District Commis-
sioner, may require on the following islands-
Bluff Island (map reference 765033),
Town Island (map reference 778056),
Urn Island (map reference 731101).
2. The signals in respect of practice shall be hoisted or
displayed two hours before such practice is due to commence.
Signals shall remain hoisted or displayed until practice has ceased,
when they shall at once be hauled down or extinguished.
38 of 1949. 6 of 1950. 9 of 1950. Short title. Interpretation. (10 of 1899.) Practice range. First Schedule. Practice programmes and notices. Second Schedule. [s. 4 cont.] (Cap. 149) 6 of 1950, s. 2. Practice signals. Third Schedule. Offences while practice signals are displayed. Offences and provisions relating to the recovery of projects. Penalty for offences. 9 of 1950, Schedule. Officers authorized to arrest or remove trespassers, etc. Exemptions. Power of Governor in Council to amend Schedules. 9 of 1950, Schedule. G.N.A. 28/50. G.N.A. 44/50. G.N.A. 95/50. G.N.A. 44/50.

38 of 1949. 6 of 1950. 9 of 1950. Short title. Interpretation. (10 of 1899.) Practice range. First Schedule. Practice programmes and notices. Second Schedule. [s. 4 cont.] (Cap. 149) 6 of 1950, s. 2. Practice signals. Third Schedule. Offences while practice signals are displayed. Offences and provisions relating to the recovery of projects. Penalty for offences. 9 of 1950, Schedule. Officers authorized to arrest or remove trespassers, etc. Exemptions. Power of Governor in Council to amend Schedules. 9 of 1950, Schedule. G.N.A. 28/50. G.N.A. 44/50. G.N.A. 95/50. G.N.A. 44/50.

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